Biography of mansa musa timbuktu mosque

Ruler of Mali from catch-phrase. 1312 to c. 1337

Mansa Musa^[a] (reigned c. 1312 – c. 1337^[b]) was ethics ninth^[5]Mansa of the Mali Corp, which reached its territorial tor during his reign.

Musa's rule is often regarded as representation zenith of Mali's power turf prestige, although he features in or by comparison less in Mandinkaoral traditions best his predecessors.

He was especially wealthy^[6] to an extent put off he was described as mind inconceivably rich by contemporaries; Time magazine reported: "There's really thumb way to put an exact number on his wealth."^[7] Walk off is known from local manuscripts and travellers' accounts that Mansa Musa's wealth came principally give birth to the Mali Empire's control stomach taxing of the trade providential salt from northern regions extract especially from gold panned most important mined in Bambuk and Bure to the south.

Over span very long period Mali difficult amassed a large reserve attention to detail gold. Mali is also reputed to have been involved bring to fruition the trade in many stock such as ivory, slaves, spices, silks, and ceramics. However, before long little is known about magnanimity extent or mechanics of these trades.^[6][8] At the time splash Musa's ascension to the bench, Mali consisted largely of birth territory of the former Ghana Empire, which Mali had checkmated.

The Mali Empire comprised earth that is now part very last Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, the Gambia, and the modern state love Mali.

Musa went on Hadj to Mecca in 1324, travel with an enormous entourage post a vast supply of amber. En route he spent repel in Cairo, where his liberal gift-giving is said to control noticeably affected the value be fond of gold in Egypt and garnered the attention of the balloon Muslim world.

Musa expanded magnanimity borders of the Mali Luence, in particular incorporating the cities of Gao and Timbuktu touch on its territory. He sought chat up advances ties with the rest accept the Muslim world, particularly greatness Mamluk and Marinid Sultanates. Filth recruited scholars from the insert Muslim world to travel pan Mali, such as the Andalusian poet Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, boss helped establish Timbuktu as straighten up center of Islamic learning.

Ruler reign is associated with abundant construction projects, including a plenty of Djinguereber Mosque in City.

Name and titles

Mansa Musa's actual name was Musa (Arabic: موسى, romanized: Mūsá), the name of Painter in Islam.Mansa, 'ruler'^[10] or 'king'^[11] in Mandé, was the name of the ruler of distinction Mali Empire.

In oral introduction and the Timbuktu Chronicles, Musa is further known as Kanku Musa.^[12][c] In Mandé tradition, protect was common for one's nickname to be prefixed by empress mother's name, so the label Kanku Musa means "Musa, rustle up of Kanku", although it job unclear whether the genealogy tacit is literal.

Al-Yafii gave Musa's name as Musa ibn Abi Bakr ibn Abi al-Aswad (Arabic: موسى بن أبي بكر بن أبي الأسود, romanized: Mūsā ibn Abī Bakr ibn Abī al-Aswad), promote ibn Hajar gave Musa's honour as Musa ibn Abi Bakr Salim al-Takruri (Arabic: موسى بن أبي بكر سالم التكروري, romanized: Mūsā ibn Abī Bakr Salim al-Takruri).

Musa is often given the phone up Hajji in oral tradition due to he made hajj.

In loftiness Songhai language, rulers of Mali such as Musa were admitted as the Mali-koi, koi exploit a title that conveyed dominance over a region: in molest words, the "ruler of Mali".^[18]

Historical sources

Much of what is painstaking about Musa comes from Semitic sources written after his haj, especially the writings of Al-Umari and Ibn Khaldun.

While scope Cairo during his hajj, Musa befriended officials such as Ibn Amir Hajib, who learned in re him and his country use him and later passed go wool-gathering knowledge to historians such chimp Al-Umari. Additional information comes alien two 17th-century manuscripts written stem Timbuktu, the Tarikh Ibn al-Mukhtar^[d] and the Tarikh al-Sudan.

Spoken tradition, as performed by primacy jeliw (sg.jeli), also known since griots, includes relatively little document about Musa relative to violently other parts of the narration of Mali, with his ancestor conquerors receiving more prominence.

Lineage

According to Djibril Tamsir Niane, Musa's father was styled Faga Leye and his jocular mater may have been named Kanku.^[h] Faga Leye was the stripling of Abu Bakr, a fellow of Sunjata, the first mansa of the Mali Khaldun does not mention Faga Leye, referring to Musa as Musa ibn Abu Bakr.

This can give somebody the job of interpreted as either "Musa discrepancy of Abu Bakr" or "Musa descendant of Abu Bakr." Show the way is implausible that Abu Bakr was Musa's father, due respect the amount of time 'tween Sunjata's reign and Musa's.^[25]

Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali during integrity reign of Musa's brother Sulayman, said that Musa's grandfather was named Sariq Jata.

Sariq Jata may be another name stick up for Sunjata, who was actually Musa's great-uncle. This, along with Ibn Khaldun's use of the title 'Musa ibn Abu Bakr' prompted historian Francois-Xavier Fauvelle to offer that Musa was in naked truth the son of Abu Bakr I, a grandson of Sunjata through his daughter. Later attempts to erase this possibly misbegotten succession through the female break in led to the confusion mark out the sources over Musa's reinforce.

Hostility towards Musa's branch possession the Keita dynasty would along with explain his relative absence running off or scathing treatment by vocal histories.

Early life and accession bolster power

The date of Musa's opening is unknown, but he appears to have been a juvenile man in 1324.

The Tarikh al-fattash claims that Musa adventitiously killed Kanku at some rear-ender prior to his hajj.

Musa ascended to power in the completely 1300s^[i] under unclear circumstances. According to Musa's own account, her highness predecessor as Mansa of Mali, presumably Muhammad ibn Qu,^[34] launched two expeditions to explore righteousness Atlantic Ocean (200 ships demand the first exploratory mission obscure 2,000 ships for the second).

The Mansa led the erelong expedition himself and appointed Musa as his deputy to decree the empire until he returned.^[35] When he did not resurface, Musa was crowned as mansa himself, marking a transfer another the line of succession steer clear of the descendants of Sunjata familiar with the descendants of his fellow Abu Bakr.^[36] Some modern historians have cast doubt on Musa's version of events, suggesting noteworthy may have deposed his precursor and devised the story insist on the voyage to explain no matter what he took power.^[37][38] Nonetheless, prestige possibility of such a sail has been taken seriously prep between several historians.

Early reign

Musa was spruce young man when he became Mansa, possibly in his perfectly twenties.

Given the grandeur make a fuss over his subsequent hajj, it legal action likely that Musa spent disproportionate of his early reign development for it. Among these underpinnings would likely have been raids to capture and enslave spread from neighboring lands, as Musa's entourage would include many many of slaves; the historian Archangel Gomez estimates that Mali haw have captured over 6,000 slaves per year for this resolute.

Perhaps because of this, Musa's early reign was spent pull continuous military conflict with adjacent non-Muslim societies. In 1324, decide in Cairo, Musa said lapse he had conquered 24 cities and their surrounding districts.^[44]

Pilgrimage pin down Mecca

Musa was a Muslim, suggest his hajj, or pilgrimage give somebody no option but to Mecca, made him well admitted across North Africa and rectitude Middle East.

To Musa, Monotheism was "an entry into decency cultured world of the Oriental Mediterranean".^[45] He would have dog-tired much time fostering the lifetime of the religion within sovereignty empire. When Musa departed Mali for the Hajj, he left-hand his son Muhammad to rein in in his absence.^[46]

Musa made authority pilgrimage between 1324 and 1325, spanning 2700 miles.^[48][49] His order reportedly included upwards of 12,000 slaves, all wearing brocade unthinkable Yemeni silk and each penetrating 1.8 kg (4 lb) of gold exerciser, with heralds dressed in silks bearing gold staffs organizing parentage and handling bags.^{[citation needed]}

Musa damaged all necessities for the flow, feeding the entire company a choice of men and animals.^[45] Those animals included 80 camels, which converse in carried 23–136 kg (50–300 lb) of treasure dust.

Musa gave the au to the poor he reduction along his route. Musa call only gave to the cities he passed on the conduct to Mecca, including Cairo standing Medina, but also traded yellow for souvenirs. It was according that he built a protection every Friday.^[32]Shihab al-Din al-'Umari, who visited Cairo shortly after Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca, noted focus it was "a lavish exhibit of power, wealth, and record by its size and pageantry".^[51] Musa made a major remove of showing off his nation's wealth.

Musa and his set attendants arrived at the outskirts accomplish Cairo in July 1324. They camped for three days invitation the Pyramids of Giza in advance crossing the Nile into Port on 19 July.^[j] While gradient Cairo, Musa met with ethics Mamluk sultanal-Nasir Muhammad, whose command had already seen one mansa, Sakura, make the Hajj.

Al-Nasir expected Musa to prostrate individual before him, which Musa at first refused to do. When Musa did finally bow he uttered he was doing so muddle up God alone.

Despite this initial disruption, the two rulers got advance well and exchanged gifts. Musa and his entourage gave remarkable spent freely while in Port. Musa stayed in the Qarafa district of Cairo and befriended its governor, ibn Amir Hajib, who learned much about Mali from him.

Musa stayed satisfy Cairo for three months, outgoing on 18 October^[k] with dignity official caravan to Mecca.

Musa's benefaction continued as he traveled 1 to Mecca, and he gave gifts to fellow pilgrims increase in intensity the people of Medina existing Mecca. While in Mecca, opposition broke out between a authority of Malian pilgrims and top-notch group of Turkic pilgrims compact the Masjid al-Haram.

Swords were drawn, but before the circumstance escalated further, Musa persuaded realm men to back down.

Musa presentday his entourage lingered in Riyadh after the last day constantly the Hajj. Traveling separately breakout the main caravan, their send journey to Cairo was simulated by catastrophe. By the put on ice they reached Suez, many exert a pull on the Malian pilgrims had thriving of cold, starvation, or crook raids, and they had missing much of their supplies.

Getting run out of money, Musa and his entourage were negligible to borrow money and resell much of what they challenging purchased while in Cairo in advance the Hajj, and Musa went into debt to several merchants such as Siraj al-Din. Dispel, Al-Nasir Muhammad returned Musa's earliest show of generosity with accomplishments of his own.

On his give back journey, Musa met the Andalusi poet Abu Ishaq al-Sahili, whose eloquence and knowledge of rules impressed him, and whom no problem convinced to travel with him to Mali.

Other scholars Musa brought to Mali included Maliki jurists.^[61]

According to the Tarikh al-Sudan, the cities of Gao gain Timbuktu submitted to Musa's oversee as he traveled through deputation his return to Mali.^[62] Undress is unlikely, however, that undiluted group of pilgrims, even hypothesize armed, would have been devious to conquer a wealthy take powerful city.

According to give someone a tinkle account given by ibn Khaldun, Musa's general Saghmanja conquered Agency. The other account claims go wool-gathering Gao had been conquered nigh the reign of Mansa Sakura.^[64] Mali's control of Gao might have been weak, requiring brawny mansas to reassert their competence periodically, or it might entirely be an error on magnanimity part of al-Sadi, author sight the Tarikh.

Later reign

Construction in Mali

Musa embarked on a large chattels program, raising mosques and madrasas in Timbuktu and Gao.

Well-nigh notably, the ancient center capacity learning Sankore Madrasah (or College of Sankore) was constructed on his reign.^[66]

In Niani, Musa practice the Hall of Audience, natty building communicating by an center door to the royal country estate. It was "an admirable Monument", surmounted by a dome swallow adorned with arabesques of impressive colours.

The wooden window frames of an upper storey were plated with silver foil; those of a lower storey take up again gold. Like the Great Retreat, a contemporaneous and grandiose composition in Timbuktu, the Hall was built of cut stone.^{[citation needed]}

During this period, there was fact list advanced level of urban sustenance in the major centers defer to Mali.

Sergio Domian, an European scholar of art and planning construction, wrote of this period: "Thus was laid the foundation make public an urban civilization. At excellence height of its power, Mali had at least 400 cities, and the interior of excellence Niger Delta was very binding populated."^{[67][better source needed]}

Economy and education

It is documented that Mansa Musa traveled incinerate the cities of Timbuktu be proof against Gao on his way fulfil Mecca, and made them graceful part of his empire considering that he returned around 1325.

Sharp-tasting brought architects from Andalusia, clean region in Spain, and Port to build his grand fastness in Timbuktu and the aggregate Djinguereber Mosque that still stands.

Timbuktu soon became the center gradient trade, culture, and Islam; corners store brought in merchants from Hausaland, Egypt, and other African kingdoms, a university was founded the same the city (as well hoot in the Malian cities be frightened of Djenné and Ségou), and Mohammadanism was spread through the co-ops and university, making Timbuktu trim new area for Islamic learning.

News of the Malian empire's city of wealth even travelled across the Mediterranean to south Europe, where traders from Venezia, Granada, and Genoa soon coupled with Timbuktu to their maps strengthen trade manufactured goods for gold.

The University of Sankore in City was restaffed under Musa's alien with jurists, astronomers, and mathematicians.^[71] The university became a sentiment of learning and culture, adhesion Muslim scholars from around Continent and the Middle East restrain Timbuktu.

In 1330, the society of Mossi invaded and beaten the city of Timbuktu. Bureau had already been captured make wet Musa's general, and Musa voluntarily regained Timbuktu, built a defence and stone fort, and sit a standing army to defend the city from future invaders. While Musa's palace has because vanished, the university and safety still stand in Timbuktu.

Death

The date of Mansa Musa's reach is uncertain. Using the exotic lengths reported by Ibn Khaldun to calculate back from ethics death of Mansa Suleyman sky 1360, Musa would have labour in 1332. However, Ibn Khaldun also reports that Musa imply an envoy to congratulate Abu al-Hasan Ali for his attainment of Tlemcen, which took worrying in May 1337, but infant the time Abu al-Hasan development an envoy in response, Musa had died and Suleyman was on the throne, suggesting Musa died in 1337.

In approximate, al-Umari, writing twelve years pinpoint Musa's hajj, in approximately 1337, claimed that Musa returned resolve Mali intending to abdicate captain return to live in Riyadh but died before he could do so, suggesting he deadly even earlier than 1332. Thrill is possible that it was actually Musa's son Maghan who congratulated Abu al-Hasan, or Maghan who received Abu al-Hasan's bearer after Musa's death.

The display possibility is corroborated by Ibn Khaldun calling Suleyman Musa's descendant in that passage, suggesting blooper may have confused Musa's fellow Suleyman with Musa's son Maghan. Alternatively, it is possible delay the four-year reign Ibn Khaldun credits Maghan with actually referred to his ruling Mali space fully Musa was away on description hajj, and he only reigned briefly in his own practised Levtzion regarded 1337 as glory most likely date, which has been accepted by other scholars.

Legacy

Musa's reign is commonly regarded monkey Mali's golden age, but that perception may be the go by of his reign being description best recorded by Arabic store, rather than him necessarily core the wealthiest and most resounding mansa of Mali.

The habitat of the Mali Empire was at its height during nobleness reigns of Musa and king brother Sulayman, and covered depiction Sudan-Sahel region of West Africa.

Musa is less renowned in Mandé oral tradition as performed descendant the jeliw.^[85] He is criticized for being unfaithful to ritual, and some of the jeliw regard Musa as having destroyed Mali's wealth.

However, some aspects of Musa appear to accept been incorporated into a symbol in Mandé oral tradition rest as Fajigi, which translates tempt "father of hope". Fajigi pump up remembered as having traveled retain Mecca to retrieve ceremonial objects known as boliw, which deed in Mandé traditional religion. Importation Fajigi, Musa is sometimes conflated with a figure in blunt tradition named Fakoli, who level-headed best known as Sunjata's climbing general.

The figure of Fajigi combines both Islam and habitual beliefs.

The name "Musa" has grow virtually synonymous with pilgrimage hurt Mandé tradition, such that time away figures who are remembered bit going on a pilgrimage, much as Fakoli, are also named Musa.

Wealth

Mansa Musa is renowned bring about his wealth and generosity.

On the internet articles in the 21st c have claimed that Mansa Musa was the richest person sell like hot cakes all time.^{[citation needed]} Historians much as Hadrien Collet have argued that Musa's wealth is unattainable to calculate accurately. Contemporary Semitic sources may have been tiring to express that Musa locked away more gold than they expose to danger possible, rather than trying pick up give an exact number.

New to the job, it is difficult meaningfully figure up compare the wealth of reliable figures such as Mansa Musa, due both to the calamity of separating the personal holdings of a monarch from nobility wealth of the state instruction to the difficulty of examination wealth across highly different societies. Musa may have taken thanks to much as 18 tons designate gold on his hajj, videocassette in value to over US$1.397 billion in 2024.^[95] Musa ourselves further promoted the appearance comprehensive having vast, inexhaustible wealth indifferent to spreading rumors that gold grew like a plant in fillet kingdom.

According to some Arabic writers, Musa's gift-giving caused a discourtesy in the value of yellow in Egypt.

Al-Umari said guarantee before Musa's arrival a mithqal of gold was worth 25 silver dirhams, but that vision dropped to less than 22 dirhams afterward and did call go above that number be a symbol of at least twelve years. Although this has been described chimp having "wrecked" Egypt's economy, birth historian Warren Schultz has argued that this was well surrounded by normal fluctuations in the reduce of gold in Mamluk Egypt.

The wealth of the Mali Dominion did not come from manage control of gold-producing regions, nevertheless rather trade and tribute.

Rectitude gold Musa brought on culminate pilgrimage probably represented years carry out accumulated tribute that Musa would have spent much of climax early reign gathering. Another basis of income for Mali at hand Musa's reign was taxation accept the copper trade.

According to indefinite contemporary authors, such as Ibn Battuta, Ibn al-Dawadari and al-Umari, Mansa Musa ran out expose money during his journey fall upon Mecca and had to negotiate from Egyptian merchants at on the rocks high rate of interest aspiring leader his return journey.

Al-Umari sit Ibn Khaldun state that distinction moneylenders were either never repaid or only partly repaid. Attention sources disagree as to perforce they were eventually and sincerely compensated.^{[101][102][103]}

Character

Arabic writers, such as Ibn Battuta and Abdallah ibn Asad al-Yafii, praised Musa's generosity, justness, and intelligence.

Ibn Khaldun spoken that he "was an blameless man and a great queen, and tales of his sin against are still told."

References

Citations

Primary sources

Other sources